McCown sent to Jaguars

NFL beat

The Jacksonville Jaguars completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for QB Luke McCown. The trade is for an undisclosed draft pick, and is contingent upon McCown passing a physical examination.

McCown, 6-3 and 217 pounds, is entering his sixth season in the NFL. The 28-year-old former Louisiana Tech quarterback has been with Tampa Bay for the past four seasons. He has played in 12 career games with seven starts.

McCown was beaten out for the Bucs starting job by Byron Leftwich. The trade comes just hours after Tampa Bay announced its final cuts and retained four quarterbacks -- Leftwich, McCown, Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson.

Jags' Meier on IR

The Jaguars trimmed their roster to the NFL mandated 53-man limit on Saturday, cutting starters Tony Pashos and Brian Williams after the two veterans refused to take a paycut, and attempts to trade them fell through.

The Jaguars released 21 players Saturday and placed DL Rob Meier on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut kicker Matt Bryant, leaving the job to Mike Nugent, who signed as a free agent during the offseason, and handled all of the kicking duties in preseason and made 6 of 9 field goals.

T Xavier Fulton was placed on injured reserve. S Tanard Jackson, who has started every game since entering the NFL in 2007, was placed on the reserve/suspended list.

Roth out 6 weeks

LB Matt Roth's absence from the Miami Dolphins will stretch into at least October. Filling his spot for the defending AFC East champions: A six-time Pro Bowler.

The Dolphins placed Roth on the reserve/non-football injury list Saturday, a move hardly unexpected because the linebacker has a groin injury that kept him sidelined for the entire preseason. It also essentially confirms what's been apparent for some time, that Jason Taylor likely starts at strongside LB when Miami opens its season Sept. 13 at Atlanta.

The Dolphins announced their first round of cuts Saturday morning included S Courtney Bryan, OT Brandon Frye, LB William Kershaw, WR Brandon London and CB Joey Thomas.